Arent Fox Partner Peter Zeidenberg Talks with CBS about Indictment of Sen. Robert Menendez

Sen. Menendez was charged by the Justice Department with accepting nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions from a longtime friend in exchange for political favors.

Federal prosecutors are arguing that Salomon Melgen, a wealthy Florida eye doctor, provided the senator with luxury vacations, airline travel, and tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to a legal defense fund. They also allege that Sen. Menendez pressured officials to resolve a multimillion-dollar billing dispute between Mr. Melgen and Medicare.

Mr. Zeidenberg, a former federal prosecutor, told CBS that Sen. Menendez’s failure to fill out the required disclosure forms for the gifts he received will lead the government to argue it demonstrates a “consciousness of guilt” and that it “casts the relationship in a different light because they weren’t being transparent about it.”

To watch the interview, click here.